You can pray to the parking gods all you want, but having some street-parking smarts goes a long way in avoiding damage, tickets, and theft. “I am a fan of parking strategically,” says Chaya Milchtein, writer, speaker, and founder of Mechanic Shop Femme, an automotive education platform. “Consider it like defensive driving.” That means thinking ahead and taking steps to avoid theft and damage to your vehicle.
Choose corner spots. Parking in the first or last spot on the block is ideal because it prevents being bookended by other cars, Milchtein says. That means less chance of being blocked into the spot and less likelihood that both bumpers get damaged by other parkers. There will often be a fire hydrant there, so know your city’s rules regarding how far from it your car must be parked (usually about the length of another vehicle).
Go toward the light. “Parking in a more brightly lit main street area helps lower the risk of vandalism or theft,” Milchtein says. Parking in front of an occupied building can also be a deterrent to thieves and vandals.
Parallel park like a pro.A prime parking spot doesn’t matter if you can’t get your car into it. Learn and practice proper parallel parking techniques or take a refresher driving course. Your insurance company might even reduce your rate for taking an approved safety-focused class. If you’re buying a new car and parallel parking just isn’t your forte (you know who you are), get a model with a 360-degree camera, parking sensors, and a tight turning radius. Some cars, such as the 2021 Toyota Prius, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 2021 Ford Escape, can even automatically park the car for you.
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